CAROL’S SUMMARY:
In this job market, many mid level and middle-aged employees are going back to intern for companies for which they have a passion and an interest, but no experience. While this may mean a temporary financial hit for some, it may produce long-term benefits on a whole new career path. It can often obviate the need for business school, or it can help ensure you are accepted to business school if you are convinced you need that degree and learning for your career advancement.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1) If there is an industry or field about which you have a deep passion, how could you pitch a one-month internship to both show your capabilities and truly verify your interest in that area?

2) Financially, how can you supplement your income so that you can work without pay on an internship? Can you get a minimum wage job, or even work as a consultant for your former employer?

3) Who are at least three people who can provide strong recommendations for you so that you can get your foot in the door for the internship? Have these in hand or as part of your electronic portfolio when you make the pitch for securing the internship.

ARTICLE:

Wall Street Journal
By ALEXANDRA LEVIT
When I was in school just over a decade ago, internships were only for college students. The jobs we performed were unglamorous. But in today’s professional world, internships have gotten a facelift, and mid-career adults are flocking to them as a way to reinvent their careers.

Marieka Torrico, 31 years old, of Alexandria, Va., chose an unpaid internship in Bolivia to jumpstart her career in public health. She had been a medical-records assistant for nearly five years. “I felt that I needed to start living my life in a way that would make a difference to others,” Ms. Torrico says.